Cause and Effect
by Paige Terner
Summary: Beckett has a secret that was caused by Castle. What effect will it have on them when she reveals it to him?


**Title: Cause and Effect  
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**Summary: Beckett has a secret, caused by Castle. What effect will it have on them when she reveals it to him?  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters I write about. If you recognize a name, odds are it isn't mine. But seeing as this is a fanfic website, you probably knew that already.**

**Thanks again to Sunshiny-Kate, the best beta a writer could ask for!**

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><p>"Rick?"<p>

"Hmmm?" He answered distractedly.

"I have to tell you something." Kate couldn't see his face, but she could sense that he was looking at her now. "Something I should have already told you, but I wasn't sure how." She stopped and nervously licked her bone-dry lips.

"What is it?" He asked encouragingly.

She still wasn't looking at him, but she knew by the tone of his voice that a tender, sweet smile was spread across his face. She swallowed as she mentally prepared herself for her confession. This shouldn't be so hard, should it? He'd be happy right?

"I don't know why I've waited to say this and I feel bad for keeping it from you and you deserved to know the same time I knew, but I just had to be completely sure before I told you and I -"

"Kate." He interrupted.

"Yeah?"

"You're kind of rambling. Just tell me." He said gently.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was too late to back out now. She was just going to have to say it.

"I'm pregnant." She finally blurted out.

The words sounded foreign as she said them out-loud for the first time. He didn't say anything and his silence was making a knot form in the pit of her stomach.

"Like, with a baby?" He said after the longest minute of her life.

She opened her eyes and angled her head so she could look up at him.

"What other kind of pregnant would I be?"

"Well it could be a pregnant pause." He said as he brought his eyes down to meet hers.

"I'm not doing stand up comedy, Rick." She replied, squinting her eyes at him.

"So, you are pregnant with a baby?"

"Yes." She said with a mockingly annoyed sigh. "I'm pregnant with a baby."

"You're pregnant with a baby. Our baby." He said, his smile growing with each word.

He slid his arm from under her head and sat up excitedly. He pushed the covers off of them and scooted down the bed. He pulled up on the hem of her shirt until her well-toned stomach was bare. Then he leaned down and lightly kissed his wife just above her bellybutton.

"Hello, baby." He said before laying back down, this time across the bed so he could lay his head on Kate's chest. For a few moments he just stared at the spot he'd kissed, then he began talking again. "This is your daddy speaking. I don't know if you have ears yet, but I hope you can hear me."

Kate laughed, which jostled Rick's head, making him laugh too. She reached up and started slowly running her fingers through his hair.

"So, you're okay with this?" She asked him tentatively.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He replied without moving.

"Well, we haven't really talked about having kids."

"We never said we didn't want to though." He pointed out.

"True. I just didn't know what you'd think."

"How long have you known?"

"A little over a week. I took five tests." She chuckled. "But I really wanted to be sure before I told you, so I went to see my doctor yesterday. She confirmed it."

"So you weren't really at the gym?"

"I can't get anything past you, can I?"

"I guess not." He laughed. "How far along are you?"

"About four weeks."

He picked his head back up and leaned forward to kiss her stomach again.

"Hear that, baby? Only eight months until you get here! You're gonna love it here. Daddy is going to spoil you so bad. But don't tell Mommy that." They both laughed again. "Speaking of Mommy, yours is going to be the best mommy ever."

He kissed her belly once more before he felt Kate softly tugging on his hair and he looked up her. She sat up enough to lean against the headboard and stared at her stomach.

"Daddy's not so bad himself. But Mommy is getting a little jealous of all those kisses you're getting." She smiled and moved her gaze to lock her eyes with his.

It was then that Rick noticed the tears filling his favorite brown eyes. He crawled back up the bed, stopping when he was hovering over her.

"Why does it look like you're about to cry?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Because I am about to cry." She answered, her tone matching his.

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm so happy and nervous and excited and scared." She said as the first drop left a salty trail down her cheek.

He reached up and brushed away the tear before it could fall from her chin and smiled at her. As their lips met, tears began to leak from both their eyes, mixing on their faces as they shared the lovingly gentle kiss. Moments later, he pulled away and reached up again to wipe her face and she did the same for him. Once their faces were relatively dry, he turned and sat next to her, wrapping his arms around her. They sat there for a long while in silence, just enjoying the sound of each other breathing.

"What do you want? A boy or a girl?" Kate asked, breaking the quiet.

"I just want a healthy baby." He answered as he tightened his arms around her even more.

"Me too." She said while snuggling deeper into his side. "I love you, Rick."

"And I love you, Kate."

A few more minutes passed and then Kate's stomach rumbled loudly.

"Sounds like Baby Castle is hungry." Rick said.

"Mommy Castle certainly is." Kate replied before turning to look at the clock on the bedside table. "No wonder. It's nearly noon."

"Well, you know the perfect brunch for a lazy Saturday celebration?" Rick asked her.

"Smorelettes?" She answered with a sigh.

"I was going to say pancakes, but if you want smorelettes, I can make that happen."

He started to get up but she pulled him back down.

"Pancakes would be great." She laughed. "But how about you make them with chocolate chips?"

"One month in and the cravings have begun." He replied.

"I gotta enjoy it before morning sickness kicks in."

They both laughed, the sound filling the room. He leaned in for another kiss, which started slow but was beginning to increase in intensity when Kate's stomach growled again. He broke away and smiled.

"We must be having a daughter." He said as he got up and headed towards the door.

"Why do you say that?" Kate asked.

"Because she's already bossing me around, just like you."

He ducked out of the room, barely dodging the pillow that a laughing Kate sent flying at his head.


End file.
